Varanasi

We were able to plan a short day and a half trip to Varanasi on the way to Calcutta. I was sooo excited! I've always wanted to go to Varanasi. It is considered an extremely holy city, not just for Hindu's, but for almost all religions.
We took a night train to get there. It was a very nice train, but I was sick the whole night and day that we left, so I spent most of it sleeping.
Once we arrived in Varanasi we crammed all 5 of us and our luggage into 1 taxi and headed for our hostel. The hostel that we stayed at was run by a hippie couple from Australia. Their outreach is to the hippie travelers that come through the city seeking truth and answers. What an incredible ministry! The harvest is plentiful there! So many foreigners and even indians come through the city desperately searching for answers and peace and spiritual awakening. Because of this, the city is much more 'westernized'. The locals are used to seeing foreigners and we don't get stared at quite as much and many more people know English are are friendly towards us. The couple, Brenden, Leaf, and their 5 year old son Tarren, are amazing. Their hearts are so beautiful and sincere and we were so encouraged by them. The hostel is beautiful! It's like a green oasis in the middle of a bustling city. They have a huge yard and a garden and have decorated everything so nicely. From their roof you can look out over the Ganges river and see the whole city skyline. It's breathtaking!
We spent some time getting to know them and helping do some yard work. Then Leaf took us out for a girls night. We went to a Japanese restaraunt and then took rickshaws to a market where we got bangles to match our outfits. I've never seen so many bangles and sparkles in my life! It was a lot of fun. Then next morning we took a sunrise boat tour of the Ganges. Our boatman was supposedly one of the most famous. He sings to you as he rows you down the river. As the sun rose, people came down to the river. Some were there doing the ceremonial washing, hoping for some kind of miracle from the river, which is considered a goddess. Others were simply bathing or doing laundry. The air is filled with sounds of bells, monks chanting, and the eerie call to prayer. There is such a spiritual heaviness there. This so called holy river is filled with rotting bodies and sewage and all kinds of things, yet everyone is so blind to it. They even say that the river is clean! It was an interesting experience. My heart is heavy for those people. We spent the rest of the afternoon getting lost in the gullies of Varanasi, exploring the ins and outs of the city. Our time went by so quickly. I wish I could have spent a month there! There is so much to see and do, and so many people to build relationships with. But we had to leave. We crammed in another taxi that afternoon and headed to the train station to go to Calcutta. It was quite a ride. We rode the sleeper class, which is basically the one that the everyday indians ride. You can get on or off at your convenience. Beggars get on and off as well as street venders. We spent 17 hours on the train before arriving in Calcutta! Definitely an experience I won't soon forget.
We are here now in Calcutta volunteering at Mercy Hospital, a hospital run by Calcutta Mercy Ministries. Please check out their website, it is an incredible ministry! So far we have been able to take some time volunteer with Mother Teresa's organization, the Sisters of Charity. We have also toured the hospital, learned a lot about the organization, and visited children in the pediatrics ward. We have a full schedule, and I can't wait to see all there is to do here in Calcutta.
Thanks for all the prayers and comments! I miss you all, but I am loving my time here. Dec. 19 is going to be a very sad day!
I'll try and post pictures soon.